Let Me Explain
by lovesnow3
Summary: Maria Posada has everything a girl could ever want. An amazing boyfriend, and just months away from graduation as valedictorian from San Angel High, but there were some parts of her life that weren't so perfect; her mothers recent death, and her military father's deployment. But she's has more on her plate than that she's pregnant and her boyfriend might not be the father. AU
1. Prologue

Prologue: Last Month

Maria woke up to and incoming video call on her computer, and slowly dug her way out of her covers and made her way to her desk rubbing her eyes as she answered.

"Hola, Mija." Her father's face appeared on her screen, he was in full uniform, but only the tops of his shoulders and the cap on top of his head showed the army grade camouflage that was required "Hola, papa. How are you?" she said in return as she reached for her hairbrush and began to comb it through her long chestnut locks, and pull it into a high ponytail.

Her father yawned which then was passed along to Maria "We got in last night. So far so good. I just wanted to make sure you were going to be alright home alone for so long."

Maria paused from brushing her hair for a moment and looked at the screen, she understood the reason for her father's call, it had been eighteen months since her mother's death and it was the first time she was left alone in their big house since then because her father had been deployed. "I'll be fine Papa. Manolo said that if I ever get lonely I can call him anytime and he'll come over."

Her father chuckled "What would you ever do without that boy?" Maria shrugged and laughed slightly "Well Mija I should let you go and get ready for school, I love you."

"I love you too Papa. Call soon adios." Her father gave her a two finger salute before they both hung up.

Maria sighed before she pushed herself away from her desk and began to get ready for school, rummaging through her drawers until she decided that it was too much work to find a shirt and pants and decides to wear a dress instead.

She pulled her favorite white and red dress from her closet and slipped it over her head as her phone began to ring, and she laughed in response, before she answered.

"Hola, Maria Posada speaking." She said as she walked to the bathroom to brush her teeth and finish getting ready.

"Hey! It's Joaquin, from history."

"I know who you are," Maria said as she tried to brush her teeth and talk at the same time, before she gave up and spat in the sink, "we've been friends for years."

Joaquin was the stereotypical popular guy, captain of the football team, and can have any girl he wants at any time, but was also one of her best friends. She first met him in elementary school when she saw him and his friend Manolo where playing tetherball on the playground and then the three of them were inseparable, the three amigos ever since. She even dated him for a year and a half before they broke up decided that they were better off being friends, that's when she started dating Manolo.

"Yeah well." Joaquin chuckled on the other end of the phone "I'm throwing a party tonight, my Aunt and Uncle are going out of town."

Maria grabbed her laptop and began walking towards the stairs to finish her morning routines "I don't know. Manolo and I were going to…"

"Bring him to the more the merrier. Just think about it." Joaquin said "Oh. One more thing can I copy your History Homework that's due today?"

Maria laughed "Good-bye Joaquin, I'll see you at school." She heard him laughing on the other end as she hung up. Walking into the kitchen the first thing she saw was the portrait of her mother hanging next to the calendar. "Morning Mama." She said as she pulled out a loaf of bread and began to make breakfast by place two slices in the toaster and grabbing the peanut butter rom the cabinet.

As the toaster was going she walked around the lower floor gathering everything she would need for the day ahead, her backpack, textbooks and other papers that were scattered haphazardly all around, the living room, study and even the bathroom. By the time she got back the bread had popped back up and she grabbed and quickly spared a layer of peanut butter on top, before she placed her laptop in her bag, grabbed her car keys and headed out the door.

_A/N: hey I hope you enjoyed this I have the first couple chapters almost done so if you like this please review, and favorite so I know you want to see more. thank you._


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Maria sat alone in the girl's bathroom watching the small piece of plastic in her hands, the minutes seemed to go by even slower in her anticipation. The alarm on her phone went off and she finally had the courage to flip the instrument over and see what it said.

"It can't be…" she said looking at the two faint pink lines "What am I going to tell Manolo?" she wrapped the plastic stick in layers of toilet paper then discarded it into the small trash can in the stall before she left the stall washed her hands and headed to class.

Walking down the hall everyone looked at her as if she was just normal Maria, but she felt so alone. Until a pair of hand blocked her vision.

"Guess who?" a familiar voice said

"Manolo, please I'm going to be late for stats." Maria said turning to face him, noticing he was dressed black slacks with a shirt and tie "Well look at you." She smiled as he took her hand and they began to walk together down the hall, "Band or Baseball?"

Manolo shook his head "Baseball, first home game of the season."

Manolo's father was the baseball coach at the high school and was captain of the varsity team when he himself attended San Angel High and wished nothing more than for his son to follow in his footsteps, however Manolo while he did enjoy playing baseball, his true passion was music, he played in nearly every band the school offered.

Maria laughed before she remembered "Manolo, can we…talk? After school?"

Manolo stopped in his tracks "is everything alright mi amour?"

Maria closed her eyes and began to chew on her lower lip 'I'm not entirely sure." She quickly kissed him on the cheek before she went to class by herself.

…..

Maria met Manolo outside the boy's locker room right after school, he had already changed into his black and silver San Angel High Matadors uniform, and when he saw her he greeted her with a kiss, but she pulled back and looked at the ground.

"What is wrong? What is it you wanted to tell me?" he asked lifting her chin so she would look him in the eyes.

"Manolo…I'm…."

"You're what mi amour?"

"I'm pregnant." She said taking a step back away from him, and watched as a look of confusion crossed his face.

"What?"

"I'm pregnant." She said again before he pulled her into a hug.

"It's alright mi amour we'll get through this together." Manolo said before he was pushed back by Maria and she turned her back to him. "What is it?"

Maria wiped a tear from her cheek before she turned to face him, "It might not be yours."

Manolo took a step back "What? Who else's could it be?"

Wringing her hands Maria looked at the ground and swallowed hard "Joaquin."

Manolo took off his cap and threw it at the ground "When?"

"Last month at his party." Tears were streaming down her face "I'm sorry Manolo, just let me explain."

"No…I have a game." He picked up his hat and made his way back into the locker room.

"Manolo…Please…I…." He didn't listen, Maria tried for a moment to hold back her tears before she slumped against the wall and cried "It was an accident."

…

Maria sat at the kitchen table her cell phone clenched tightly in her hand, looking at a picture of her and Manolo at the beach from over the summer, they were so happy and she remembered the song that he had written for her at the same time and she could still hear him singing it in her head.

_"__I love you to much. _

_To live without you loving me back._

_I love you to much_

_Heaven's my witness and this is a fact._

_I know I belong_

_When I sing this song_

_It's love above love and its ours_

_'__cause I love you to much." _

Maria caught herself singing it to herself as she tried to keep herself together, when her phone rang. She looked down and saw that it was Joaquin his goofy caller ID picture from freshman year looking back at her, before she answered she took a deep breath, she knew she had to tell him.

"Hola."

"Hey, Maria. Where are you? Manolo's game just finished." Joaquin said over the loud background cheering.

"I didn't go."

"What? You always come to home games."

"I wasn't feeling well. How'd it go?" Maria asked trying to put off tellng her best friend her secret.

"We won. Manolo hit a home run, at the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded. It was amazing."

Maria smiled a little "I bet it was. Hey Joaquin?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you stop by my house? I have something I want to talk with you about."

"Sure. Is everything Ok?"

Maria shook her head knowing that he couldn't see her "I just need to talk with you ok?"

"Ok. See you in a few minutes."

Maria wiped a tear from her cheek "Bye."

….

Maria waited by the door until she head Joaquin's car pull up to the curb and the door slam. And before he even had a chance to move from the sidewalk to the door she had burst through the front door and ran towards him crying and hugged him around the waist.

Joaquin was taken aback for a moment before he realized that she was crying "What's wrong?"

"I….I'm pregnant…."

Joaquin's mind went blank as Maria looked up at him, and they went into the large Posada household.

The two sat in silence for a moment before Maria spoke again "Please say something."

"Are…Are you sure?" Joaquin asked finally pulling himself out of his head.

She nodded "I've take four tests. I even pulled a Juno and walked to the store will a huge bottle of juice and took it at the store. All of them were positive."

"And is it?" he pointed to himself.

Maria shrugged "I don't know."

"Have you told Manolo?" She nodded "I'm so sorry Maria, I never meant to-"

"It's not your fault Joaquin, we were drinking and it just happened. But Manolo wouldn't let me explain and-" she couldn't hold back any more tears "and he's not answering any of my calls or texts."

Joaquin walked over to her and hugged her while she cried into his chest.

_A/N: hope you enjoy this chapter. more will hopefully be coming soon. Please Review and let me know how you like it and if you enjoy it enough please favorite. _


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Manolo was lying on his bed looking at his phone listening to message after message and reading text after text from Maria, even though they all said the same thing.

_"__Please let me explain. I love you. Please."_

He shook his head and threw his phone onto the floor. As his father walked in.

"What are you doing here Mijo? I thought you, Maria, and Joaquin were going on your post win ice-cream trip."

Manolo sat up and looked at his father "I don't think we're going to be doing that anymore."

Carlos Sanchez looked at his son for a moment before he walk over and sat on the edge of his bed "What's going on?"

"I don't want to talk about it Papa." Manolo said getting out of bed as he walked into his closet to finally change out of his baseball uniform.

Carlos wasn't going to take no for an answer "Mijo...If you don't tell me what is bothering you I guess I'll just have to call your Great-Grandmother and tell her that you're keeping secrets again."

Manolo sighed and poked his head out from behind the closet door, while he loved his family his Great-Grandmother was the one woman that he feared more than his father, she wasn't harsh or mean she just had this air about her that he felt he couldn't every lie to her or else she would snap. "Maria is pregnant. She says that Joaquin might be the father."

Carlos shook his head at his son "Is that all?"

Manolo was taken aback by his father's comment "Papa, Maria slept with Joaquin, and now she's pregnant."

"Well there's a chance that the baby is yours isn't there?" his father asked.

Monolo could feel his cheeks heat up as he walked back out into the room wearing jeans and a black t-shirt with the words 'Matador Marching Band' written in white and red across the front.

"Well…yes but…she cheated on me."

Carlos stood up from and slapped a hand on his sons back "Come down stairs I have something I need to show you." Then he left the room

Manolo met his father in the kitchen a few minutes after, and found his father sitting at the kitchen table, flipping through an old yearbook.

"Sit down Mijo." His father nodded to the chair next to him and Manolo sat, as his father pointed out a picture in the yearbook. "Do you know who this is?"

"Mama." Manalo said, as Carlos shook his head.

"I meant the man next to your mother."

Manolo took a moment to carefully study the man that stood next to his mother in the photo, there was something slightly familiar about him but it took him awhile before it finally clicked "Isn't that Captain Mondragon? Joaquin's dad?"

Carlos nodded "Now read what it says under the photo."

Manolo focuses in on the winding script under the picture "'High School Sweethearts. Carmen Velazquez and Tomas Mondragon '"

"Tomas was my best friend. He dated your mother all throughout high school."

Manolo pushed the book back towards his father "What does this have to do with me?"

Carlos flipped a few pages and then turned it back towards his son "Our senior prom."

Manolo looked down and saw a picture of the San Angel High School Royal court from his father's senior year. "You and Mama were Prom King and Queen?"

His father nodded "And the dance that we shared that night. Proved to me that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her, but I knew that it would never work out because she was so happy with Tomas." A look of confusion came over his sons face before he continued "it was then that Tomas joined the Army and was sent off to boot camp. After he left is when your mother and I found each other again."

"Mama cheated on Captain Mondragon with you?" Manolo said in shock.

"Yes, and when she finally got to explain it to him when he got back on leave he was only mad for a while. Situation sound familiar?"

"Papa, my situation is different. Maria slept with my best friend and could be pregnant with his child." Manolo said.

Carlos shook his head "You don't get it Mijo. Your mother and I were forgiven, even though what we did wasn't right. Tomas let us explain why and he understood why it happened, and we were still friends."

Manolo bit his lip, in defeat "I guess I should call her back and let her explain then?"

Carlos nodded "That sounds like a good idea Mijo."

…

Maria's phone rang, and she broke away from Joaquin long enough to see who it was.

"It's Manolo." She said in shock. "I can't talk to him."

Joaquin held out his hand "Let me talk to him." She handed him her phone and he answered as he walked out of the room.

From the living room she could barely hear what he was saying and only had the silence of Manolo's answer on the other end.

"She doesn't want to talk with you."

Silence

"Manolo, listen to me. She. Doesn't. Want. To. Talk. To. You."

Silence

"I know because, I'm with her right now."

Silence.

Joaquin walked back into the room and handed Maria her phone back.

"What did he say?" she asked wringing her hands together.

He shook his head "He wouldn't say unless, I had you talk to him. But let's forget about that and start figuring out what we need to do from this point on."

Maria nodded, as the two of them began to talk about the next steps they needed to talk.


End file.
